Retailers are looking forward to a
strong Christmas season after news that spending in Otago in
recent weeks is well up on the corresponding period last
year.
Paymark electronic transaction figures released yesterday
show that over the first two weeks of December, $101.6
million was processed throughout Otago, including Queenstown.
This was up $5.3 million or 5.5% on the corresponding period
last year.
The figures from Paymark, which processes about 75% of the
country's electronic transactions, follow one of the busiest
spending weekends in Otago, the Friday, Saturday and Sunday
of the Elton John concert in Dunedin. Over those three days,
November 25-27, more than $22.3 million was spent throughout
the region, $2 million more than the corresponding three days
last year.
Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Christie said
yesterday the December transaction figures confirmed what
retailers and other business owners had noticed.
"Anecdotally, we have been hearing there are more people out
and about, more people shopping and eating out and more
people with a bit more money to spend."
Dunedin spending had been boosted by cruise ships' passengers
and crew, visitors in the city for tertiary graduations and
those attending "really telling" events, such as the Elton
John concert.
The chamber had just completed its latest quarterly survey of
businesses, Mr Christie said.
While the results had not yet been analysed in detail, early
indications were business owners were feeling confident about
the future because customers were starting to spend again.
Survey results from two years ago showed residents were not
confident about their jobs and incomes and stopped spending
on major items such as new cars, furniture and furnishings
and whiteware, he said. Now, it appeared confidence and
spending was returning.
Meridian mall manager Michael Porter said the Paymark
December figures were "terrific".
The upturn confirmed his own figures, which showed 103,000
people had visited the mall in the first full week of
December.
"People seem to be shopping a bit earlier than last year and
spending a bit more money ... We are in a good position for a
very strong Christmas."
Queenstown Chamber of Commerce chief executive Ann Lockhart
was unable to be contacted.
Alistair Porter, managing director of the Remarkables Park
town centre development, said the figures showed a "promising
start" to the Christmas season for retailers and "hopefully
augured well" for a strong end to the year.
Spending in Queenstown this year had been consistently ahead
of last year, he said.
allison.rudd@odt.co.nz
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